Get ready to start a fire
OPEN CALL FOR ART & LITERATURE
Submit to the first issue of Cinder Magazine
Submissions open October 8 - November 19, 2025
Please review all important FAQ and details below, and send us an email if you have any questions. Ready to submit?
Calling all spoonie creatives.
Cinder Magazine is currently seeking art & literary submissions for our first issue and the theme is fire.
Fire is a universal symbol that can reflect any number of meanings from creation to destruction. Flames have been known to represent purification, spirituality, power, pain, hospitality, rebirth, knowledge and enlightenment, revolution, and an infinite number of themes that we collectively experience as humans. We want to know what fire means to you or your creative work— we are open to direct and abstract interpretations of the theme.
Like fire, our experiences as a disabled community hold many diverse facets and contradictions – creation and destruction, warmth and danger, clarity and chaos. Our art and writing can warm a room or burn down a barrier, and both are necessary. Some may call us too much, too intense, or too demanding, but fire does not apologize for its light. At Cinder Magazine we are building connections like kindling because fire, on its own, is brief. Fire needs others: fuel, breath, and space to grow. So do we. We are building a publication that keeps each other lit when the world tries to dim us, not only to endure but to illuminate a better path forward.
Rules & Guidelines
How many pieces can I submit?
Each creative may submit up to 8 art/visual submissions and up to 5 literary submissions (you may submit to both categories). If you are in contact with Cinder Magazine about additional article/feature opportunities please remember that those opportunities are separate from these general submissions. Cinder Magazine is not currently accepting pieces that have been published elsewhere (posting them to your website or social media is okay).
Who can submit?
We are only seeking submissions from creatives who are chronically ill, neurodivergent, mentally ill, and/or disabled. We will never ask you to prove or disclose your conditions, nor does your work have to be about these subjects. We simply ask for transparency so we can create a publication that is thoroughly by and for these communities. We are a United States based publication but we are accepting global submissions.
What do I need to do to ensure that my submission is counted?
We have outlined the particulars of our submissions process below. Please make sure that your submission uses the correct file names, file sizes, and file types. Each submission must also include a PDF cover sheet. Incomplete/improper submissions may not be considered, please let us know if you have any questions or difficulties.
Where can I find additional information about working with Cinder Magazine?
For additional FAQ and information please click the link below. For any unanswered questions please email our team at hello@cindermagazine.com.
Art/Visual Submissions
We are interested in a wide variety of art/visual submissions. Examples may include, but are not limited to: drawing & illustration, painting, digital art, photography & modeling, printmaking, jewelry & beadwork, ceramics, fiber arts, sculpture, mixed media art, and more!
Each contributor may submit up to 8 art/visual submissions
All visual submissions should be 300dpi, CMYK, and either .jpg, .png, or .pdf format. (Max file size: 10MB). Lower resolution images may be accepted for submissions if a high-resolution image can be provided for publication.
Please name each file using the format “Lastname_Title”— Example: “Taylor_Cinder.png”.
Submission Requirements:
Literary Submissions
We are interested in a wide variety of literary submissions. Examples may include, but are not limited to: poetry & prose, short stories, personal essays, opinion pieces, short screenplays, and more!
Each contributor may submit up to 5 literary submissions
We ask that your submission does not exceed 3000 words. We are limited to the amount of long-format pieces we can print so please keep in mind that shorter pieces have a higher likelihood of being selected.
All literary submissions should be in PDF format.
Please name each file using the format “Lastname_Title” Example: “Taylor_Cinder.pdf”.
Non-English submissions are welcome & encouraged but they must include an English Translation. Only the original submission will count against the word-count limit.
Submission Requirements:
Cover Page: Required for all submissions
Each submission must include a PDF cover sheet that lists all of the pieces being submitted. The format of this cover sheet is not important but all cover sheets must include:
Your full name
Published name (if different from your name)
List of all titles being submitted
For art/visual submissions please also include:
Mediums used
Size of the actual piece (or list “digital” when applicable)
Please feel free to include an artist/author’s summary and a description of the pieces submitted. Some of this information may be included in the publication. We will request this information at a later date so it does not need to be print ready and it will not negatively impact your submission to not include this now. However if you’d like to share more of your story/process to go along with your submission you’re more than welcome to do so.
Optional:
READY TO SUBMIT??
Additional Information
This is currently an unpaid opportunity. Selected creatives will receive full credit, promotional opportunities, and a free digital and physical copy of the issue they are featured in (creatives living outside of the US may be subject to additional shipping fees to receive a physical copy).
Cinder Magazine upholds a zero-tolerance policy. We reserve the right to revoke your participation (print, digital, and/or marketing) if you: commit plagiarism, try to pass off AI content as your own, violate intellectual property rights, use hate speech or harassment, engage in discriminatory or violent behavior, or breach community standards of respect and safety.
By submitting to Cinder Magazine, you acknowledge and agree with the following statements:
I permit Cinder Magazine to publish the work submitted by me in the Cinder Magazine publication, website, social media, multimedia, DVD or promotional materials. Cinder Magazine claims first world electronic rights (text and audio), first print rights, and non-exclusive anthology rights. All rights are restricted to English language unless specifically stated otherwise.
All work submitted by me is my original work and does not illegally infringe upon any other individual or entity. Cinder Magazine does not accept AI generated content. As the author/artist I retain all reprint copyrights to the submitted work. All source material from other work(s) have been acknowledged within the body or text of work or in footnotes or credits. I indemnify any and hold harmless Cinder Magazine from any intellectual property claims by any third party. If the work submitted by me is accepted, I am entitled to one digital copy and one mailed copy of the edition in which my work appears if I am within the United States. If I am outside of the United States, I will receive a digital copy and physical copies will be mailed with applicable shipping fees.
For additional FAQ and information, please visit the link below or email us at hello@cindermagazine.com
Important Dates for Issue 1:
Submissions Open: October 8 - November 19, 2025
Decision announcement: December 5, 2025
Issue released March 2026 in physical and digital formats